RBS-70 Swedish Man-Portable Air Defense Missile System (MANPADS)

The RBS-70 is a modern man portable SAM system of Swedish origin. It was developed as a highly mobile system to primarily protect predefined areas, not troops on the move. The manual SACLOS guidance sets this system apart from the more common infrared homing MANPADS designs. The RBS-70 uses a pedetal launcher on which a single operator is seated. The operator identifies targets or receives target information from mobile radar systems such as the Giraffe. The SACLOS guidance requires the operator to keep the target within the crosshairs while the missile uses laser beam riding guidance to reach the target. The laser receiver is in the tail of the missile and is very hard to jam. This required exhaust vents in the middle of the missile. The laser seeker and warhead are in the nose. RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70, "robot" meaning "missile" in this context in Swedish) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence (now Saab Bofors Dynamics, since 2000). It uses the RB 70 missile which is also in use in a number of other Swedish missile systems. The RBS 70 was developed to supply the Swedish air defense with a low-cost, easy-to-use and effective short-range SAM system. Before RBS 70 the mainstay of Swedish air defense was American MIM-23 Hawk systems (RBS 77 and RBS 97 "Swedish HAWK"), American Redeye (RBS 69) and the Swedish Bofors m/48 AAA. The Swedish Army has decided to replace the RBS 70 with a ground-launched version of the IRIS-T missile. The RBS 70 is a Short-range Air Defense (SHORAD) laser guided missile system. Mk 1 and Mk 2 followed shortly and are the standard RBS 70 with a range of 5,000–6,000 m and a ceiling of 3,000 m. Currently, RBS 70 is operational in 18 customer countries, on all continents and in arctic, desert, and tropical environments. In 2003 the "BOLIDE" upgrade system was introduced to the RBS 70.[3] The BOLIDE missile is an RBS 70 Mk 2 upgrade that is faster (Mach 2 vs Mach 1.6), with a range up to 8 km (5.0 mi) and can reach an altitude of 6 km. Deliveries were initiated in 2005. In 2011, Saab Bofors Dynamics (successor company of Bofors Defence) announced the introduction of the new RBS 70 New Generation (RBS 70 NG). The upgraded version included an improved sighting system capable of night vision and improved training and after-action review features.